The results of the April 5-10 Pulse Asia survey showed either incumbent or former senators have a statistical chance of winning in the May 9 elections.
Leading the race are Senate President Franklin Drilon (51.6 percent), Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (49.8 percent) and former Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (46.8 percent), Panfilo Lacson (40.8 percent) and Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (38.9 percent). The rest of the candidates who made it to the top 13 are boxing superstar and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao (36.3 percent), former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Joel Villanueva (35.6 percent), Senators Ralph Recto (35.6 percent) and Sergio Osmeña III (34.2 percent), former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon (33.8 percent), former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros (33.7 percent), former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (32.3 percent) and Valenzuela City Rep. Win Gatchalian (31.5 percent). The ABS-CBN-commissioned survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews. It had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.5 percent.
